There was a palpable buzz around the West End for the last three weekends. Excited groups of pals pouring into bars, folk standing outside restaurants comparing weather predictions. A steady procession of people towards Kelvingrove.
Summer Nights at the Bandstand started with Burt Bacharach on the 26th July and finished with Hue & Cry on 10th August. A triumphant collection of talent played in between. It has become one of the city’s most impressive festivals.
Built in 1924, The Kelvingrove Bandstand & Amphitheatre is the only original bandstand left in Glasgow. It closed in 1999 and fell into serious disrepair, before being estored to its original glory in 2014.
Since it re-opened in 2014 it has been used as for a concert series that has featured the likes of Sir Tom Jones, Brian Wilson, Van Morrison and Texas, performances at the Glasgow Mela, a cinema and a venue for the West End Festival.
Standout performances at Summer Nights at the Bandstand this year came from an eclectic mix of headliners including Patti Smith, Teenage Fanclub and Father John Misty.
The Human League met their soulmates in the form of a Glasgow audience that knew every element of their electro playbook.
The National then played two special shows. The beauty of the Bandstand gigs is the capacity and the setting – around 2000 or so people see performances built for bigger stages. It’s an atmospheric experience.
Glasgowist was in amongst it for Bloc Party on Friday as they brought an energetic set to the stage, playig their 2005 debut album Silent Alarm in its entirety. They mostly escaped the rain while flying through reputation defining tracks like Luno, Pioneers and Banquet.
Hue & Cry brought the run of shows to a close with a full band show on Saturday.
Tickets for next year’s festival, which is organised by Regular Music, go on sale in January.